The celebrity contestants confirmed for this year’s Strictly Come Dancing so far include an NFL pundit, a pop star and a radio DJ.
1. Boxer Nicola Adams
The Olympic gold medallist will take to the dancefloor as part of the show’s first same-sex pairing.
The 37-year-old – nicknamed The Lioness – retired with an undefeated record and held the WBO female flyweight title last year.
She also became the first openly LGBT person to win an Olympic boxing gold medal, after her triumph at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Her debut on the show marks the first time a same-sex couple has competed on Strictly, following years of speculation.
Johannes Radebe and fellow professional Graziano di Prima made history when they performed together on the BBC show last year.
Adams is dating Ella Baig and has been praised as an LGBT role model.
2. Presenter Ranvir Singh
The journalist and presenter has travelled onboard the RAF Voyager with the Prime Minister and reported live as the Grenfell Tower fire unfolded.
She has also appeared on daytime TV shows Lorraine, This Morning and Loose Women as well as Good Morning Britain and ITV News.
Born and raised in Preston, Singh attended the University of Central Lancashire and spent 12 years at the BBC as a producer, reporter and presenter.
She co-presented BBC North West Tonight and in 2010 was awarded the award for best on-screen talent at the Royal Television Society’s North West Awards.
3. Radio DJ Clara Amfo
The presenter and activist is best known for her show on BBC Radio 1, home of the Live Lounge, and her credits also include the Brit Awards and the BBC’s coverage of Glastonbury.
Amfo is also a fixture on the judging panel for the Mercury Prize and a regular on the red carpet, hosting premieres for Sir Elton John’s Rocketman, The Crimes Of Grindelwald, Marvel’s Black Panther and Disney’s The Lion King.
She also appeared on the the Activism Now cover of British Vogue, and is a contributing editor to Elle magazine.
In June, the London-born presenter, who has Ghanaian heritage, was praised for making an emotional speech during her BBC Radio 1 show about the death of George Floyd, racism and its effect on her mental health.
4. Actress Caroline Quentin
One of the nation’s best-loved actresses, Quentin has 40 years of experience in showbusiness.
The 60-year-old found fame as Dorothy in 90s comedy Men Behaving Badly before starring in dramas including Jonathan Creek and crime series Blue Murder.
She has also fronted a number of documentaries and two series of The World’s Most Extraordinary Homes for BBC Two.
Quentin, originally from Surrey, performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company in 2019.
She was married to Have I Got News For You comic Paul Merton from 1990 until their divorce in 1998.
The same year she met her current husband Sam Farmer on the set of Men Behaving Badly, where he was a runner.
They married in 2005 and have two children.
5. NFL star Jason Bell
Former American footballer and BBC pundit Bell, 42, finished his career playing for the New York Giants in 2007.
But the California-born sportsman will step into a different arena when he debuts on Strictly this year.
Bell played as a cornerback/safety for the Dallas Cowboys, before moving to the Houston Texans, where he won the Ed Block Courage Award, one of the league’s highest honours.
Alongside fellow NFL alumni Osi Umenyiora, he presents The NFL Show on the BBC and The Jason & Osi Podcast.
Bell welcomed a daughter, Anaiya, with Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle in 2014 but they later split after an 11-year relationship.
6. The Wanted’s Max George
Manchester-raised George, 31, started out as a footballer for Preston North End but after an injury ended his sporting career he decided to pursue music.
He found fame as a member of pop group The Wanted, who scored two number one singles in the UK before going on indefinite hiatus in 2014.
George, who has dated actress Michelle Keegan, moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting, appearing in the sixth season of Glee as Clint, before returning to the spotlight as a solo musician.
He follows in the footsteps of former bandmate Jay McGuiness, who won Strictly in 2015 with professional partner Aliona Vilani.
